Underestimated
by Cloud-Dancer103
Summary: Bits and bites from my story 'Never say Goodbye' with my OC Megan. There's twin trouble and a fritzing Prowl. Wheeljack's lab explodes and a normally impassive spy looses his cool. Everything from fluff to humor in this one! More will be added. If you've read 'Never say Goodbye' (or even if you haven't) you'll want to read this one!
1. Chapter 1: A bet

**This is a one shot for a chapter story I'm planning on writing. Had some help from Wikipedia for some of the questions. This is just for fun so if you don't like it don't read, this is my play time in the transformers world. It's possible other one shots will join this one, but that depends on my muse. Enjoy, read and review!**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything 'cept Megan, my OC.

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

**:**Com-link:

* * *

Quit while you're ahead, all the best gamblers do. -Baltasar Gracian y Morales

* * *

"I'm just saying that there's _no_ way that a little squishy like you can do it without help."

"Is that so?"

"Ya, it's so. You squishies may be naturally confusing but there's no way you can get Prowl to fritz his processor on purpose."

"Sam, Mikayla and Miles managed it in one conversation he happened to overhear."

"That doesn't count. Miles is odd even by your human standards, and he had backup from Sam and Mikayla. What I'm saying is that no single human could fritz Prowler intentionally."

"Careful Sides', don't wanna break your voice processor with all those big words now do you?"

"Watch it squishy."

"I have a name you know. Quit calling me squishy."

"Make me squishy."

"Ok, how about a bet?"

"…what kind of bet?"

"I have five minutes to make Prowls processor fritz. If I win you have to stop calling me squishy and no pranks on base for at least two weeks. If I lose you can have all the washes and waxes your heart desires for two weeks. Sound fair?"

"Make it all the washes and waxes me _and_ Sunny could want and you have a deal."

"Deal."

Prowl of course had no idea what was in store for him when aforesaid human came walking innocently into his office. He also had no idea that the elder twins were waiting just down the hall with a timer set for five minutes. He acknowledged the little femme with a nod of his helm, but didn't turn his attention away from the data packs set into neat piles in front of him.

"Hey Prowl."

"Good morning." He rumbled, still not turning away from his work.

"Sorry to bother you but I have a bit of a problem. You see my English teacher gave us some word problems we're supposed to solve but I can't make any sense of the questions." She held up a paper that had a number of questions printed on it, whipped up in a hurry for the bet.

"I've asked the other bots and they don't understand the questions either, so I was hoping maybe you could help me out. I figured the bot with the best logic processor on base could make these questions make sense. You don't have to if you don't want to, I can always ask my teacher on Monday." She shrugged her shoulders and did her best to look disappointed.

Prowl vented a sigh, and looked up from his work to the little human.

"I suppose could dedicate a portion of my circuits to your problems for a few minutes."

He turned his attention back to the data packs. The human gave a smile that was so reminiscent of the twins that had Prowl seen it he may have had more warning about what was going to happen. Unfortunately for him he missed it. The human straightened the paper and made as if to write what Prowl told her.

"Ok so first question is, 'If a tree falls in the forest with no one there to hear it fall, does it make a sound?'."

Prowls hands slowed over his data packs, his optics dimming slightly, but they quickly brightened as if nothing had happened.

"Sound is created by waves of pressure passing through the air. This process happens regardless if there is an audio receptor there to hear it."

"That's true," the human hummed. "But one could argue that sound only exists as sound when perceived as sound through the ears, other wise it is just vibrations in the air."

Prowl felt his logic processor give a mighty lurch, his servos pausing on the data packs as he tried to not think about the new view-point the human had pointed out and the flaw in his thinking. The human acting as if completely oblivious to his problem scribbled something down on her paper before turning back to him.

"Ok, next question is, 'Could an omnipotent being create a rock that even it couldn't lift?'."

Prowls movements ceased completely now, as his processor dedicated a few thousand of his circuits to the problem, instead of the few he had thought it would take. His optics flickered between dim and bright, like someone was playing with a light switch.

_'Either the omnipotent being can create a rock it cannot lift and cease to be omnipotent, or it cannot create a rock it cannot lift it would also cease to be omnipotent. So really omnipotence is dependent on if omnipotence is logically possible or not.' _Prowl's processor spun in circles, he tried to clamp down on the wayward thoughts but his processor couldn't let it go. The human looked up at him, had he been paying attention to her he would have seen the mischievous glance she had thrown at his still form.

"Why don't we come back to that one?" She said with all the innocence of a sparkling.

"Next question asks 'What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?'."

Prowl could now feel the processor ache coming on. He shuttered his optics and ran a servo over his face plates trying to relieve the static build up in his helm. His processor was running faster than the little human in front of him could imagine and yet she could come up with questions that could stump even his logic circuits.

"Pass." He said, his words almost sounding strained.

"Next question, 'If someone who always lies says 'I'm lying', does that make them a liar?'."

A single spark jumped from Prowl's helm. Prowl, of course was to busy trying to keep himself from over heating his circuitry to notice, but the little human troublemaker saw it and smiled.

"Ok Prowl. Last question and then I'll leave you alone ok?"

Prowl regarded the small organic with dim optics. All he could want right now was for the little femme to leave so he could get his processor on straight and his work finished. Not even pretending now to be writing down answers to her questions she met his gaze with mischievous hazel eyes.

"How is a raven like a writing desk?"

The sound of Cybertronian metal hitting the floor rang through the hallway out where the twins stood. Sideswipe glanced at his timer in surprise.

"Well paint me surprised. She actually did it in less than five minutes. It only took her three!"

The human femme in question took that moment to walk calmly and casually into the hall, a happy smile on her face. She stopped at the feet of the twins and beamed up at them.

"You might want to comm Ratchet or Prowl might not be getting up anytime soon." She said cheerily before continuing on her way.

She paused before rounding the corner and called back at them.

"Oh, and Sides! What's my name?"

"Megan." He mumbled sullenly.

"What? I can't hear you Sides." She said mockingly.

"I get it Megan, I won't call you squishy anymore."

"That's right you won't. I'll see you guys later then, stay out of trouble."

Sunstreaker politely waited until Megan had rounded the corner before turning to his twin.

"Nice job bro. You lost a bet to a human."

"Shut up."

:Sideswipe to Ratchet.:

:What in the name of the Pit have you done now?:

:Nothing… but, you might want to head over to Prowl's office. Looks like he fried his logic processor again.:

:And you and your infernal twin wouldn't have _anything _to do with that would you now Sideswipe?:

:Honestly Ratchet this time it wasn't us! Megan did it.:

:Humans may be naturally confusing but I somehow doubt that a single human could intentionally fry Prowl's processor. You two are getting the wrench for this one.:

"Aww slag."

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Read and Review!


	2. Chapter 2: The Groundbridge Incident

**Another chapter! YAY! Ok, so some of it won't make sense but it relates back to the larger chapter series I'm going to write with Megan. I don't know what to call it yet and I'm open to suggestions. I made Mirage her guardian just `cause I can. I hope I didn't make him to OOC. This particular chapter is set almost in the middle of the story I have planned and I suppose it's a teaser to get people excited about it. Let me know your thoughts and opinions, and don't for get to Read and Review!**

"Talking"

:Comm link:

_'Thoughts'_

* * *

Gravity is a contributing factor in nearly 73% of all accidents involving falling objects. -Dave Barry**  
**

* * *

**The Groundbridge Incident**

Megan wandered the large halls of the Autobot base, feeling more then just a little bored. She _almost_ regretted having Sideswipe promise not to pull pranks for two weeks. At least when he was making trouble with his twin there was something happening to keep her amused. Even if it was dodging Ratchet's wrenches while laughing at the twins expense, or helping Ratchet throw said wrenches. She sighed and turned down one of the halls that was less frequented by the humans on base.

The reason this particular hallway was avoided by the resident organics was because it was the hall that led to Wheeljack's workshop/danger room. It had been made quite clear to all on base that unless you wanted to piss of Ratchet or accidentally become a science experiment you stayed away from this hallway. However in her quest to vanquish her boredom Megan was feeling more adventurous than was probably good for her health. Megan wondered briefly if she had a thing against living until she was at least twenty.

_'Oh, well. It's not like I've ever had the best survival instincts anyway.'_ She smiled ruefully to herself.

She didn't bother knocking on the massive door and instead just let herself in. Wheeljack was bent over his worktable tinkering with some tiny piece of machinery. Tools and parts littered the floor and hung from hooks in the walls. If there was some kind of order or pattern to the chaos then it wasn't one that Megan could see. Against the far wall was some kind of cybertronian contraption, a ring of exposed wires and metal as tall as Prime was supported between two pillars of coiled metal.

"Hey 'Jack."

Wheeljack continued fiddling with the part he had in his hand, making no sign he had heard her. Megan sighed. This was why she didn't bother knocking, when Wheeljack was in 'his thinking place' it was like the only thing that could get him out of it was an explosion. She made her way around the junk on the floor over to the metal giants ped. She tapped his foot.

" 'Jack? Hey, 'Jaaaack. You better not be ignoring me, 'Jack." She sighed again at his lack of response before taking a deep breath.

"WHEELJACK!"

Wheeljack jumped in surprise, almost beaning her in the head and knocking her a few steps back. He looked down at her now, ear fins still flashing in a startled way, a small delicate tool in one servo.

"Megan? What are you doing in here? You shouldn't be in here, Ratchet will have my aft welded to a wall if he knew I let you in."

"Ah, but you didn't let me in. I _snuck_ in all by myself. Besides I trust you not to blow me up Wheeljack." She grinned up at him.

"I was bored and thought maybe you had something interesting going on in here. I haven't seen you for a few days, only to get energon in the wreck room and that was two days ago. When's the last time you recharged?"

Wheeljack rubbed his helm bashfully as he gently picked her up and set her on the tabletop next to his little project. The thing Wheeljack had been working on was twice her height and thick as a tree, cylindrical in shape and had a glass center that glowed a teal color. To Megan it looked like some kind of alien battery, but one could never be sure where Wheeljack was concerned. Megan just secretly hoped it wasn't radioactive and she wasn't going to grow a third eye or something.

"I'm afraid to admit I haven't recharged in awhile. I've been making so much progress I just couldn't power down."

Megan turned her attention way from the alien battery and narrowed her eyes at the inventor.

"How long is_ 'awhile'_ exactly?"

He avoided her gaze under the pretence of reaching for another tool, which he turned over and over in his servos.

"My chronometer says about five earth days."

"Wheeljack." She sighed and ran a hand through her pixy short brown hair. Ratchet was going to throw a fit, and a few wrenches, when he found out that Wheeljack was neglecting his recharge cycle.

"You gotta go recharge 'Jack."

"But I only just finished the power core." He wined like a small child, ear fins flashing his disappointment. "All that's left is a control station, a little recalibration, add a few plates to tidy it up and we'll have our very own groundbridge."

Megan paused.

"What's a groundbridge?"

Wheeljack brightened and waved a proud servo at the metal and wire ring against the wall.

"That is a ground bridge, or at least it will be once I finish it. I suppose the closest human term is a teleportation machine, although it's a horribly inaccurate term. With this we could 'teleport' almost anywhere in the world. Just imagine how much quicker we could respond to Decepticon attacks with a groundbridge at our disposal."

"Wow 'Jack that's really something." Megan said with genuine wonder and excitement.

Wheeljack glowed with the praise, until Megan narrowed her eyes at him again that is.

"But you still need to recharge 'Jack. Come on, get your aft in gear, all this work will still be waiting for you when you online again." She made a shooing motion a him, he sighed in defeat.

"Can I at least attach the finished part to the bridge? Then I'll go straight to my berth and recharge I swear."

_'He's harder to get to sleep then Annabelle on a bad day.'_ She thought with a roll of her eyes, but she couldn't refuse the mech.

"Alright already, turn off the wounded puppy optics please. Go ahead and attach your part, but afterwards you better go to recharge or I'm telling Ratchet."

He happily scooped both her and the finished power core into his servos and placed her at the base of the incomplete groundbridge. He opened a small panel directly under the center of the metal and wire ring and began to twist the part into place. Megan was nervous and not afraid to admit it, she had seen the aftermath of way to many Wheeljack inspired explosions.

"Umm… 'Jack? Not to be rude or anything but… it's not going to go boom is it? Like I said I trust you not to blow me up, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like a little forewarning." Wheeljack chuckled at her.

"It's perfectly safe. The wires aren't even attached to this panel yet, it'll be the last thing I do after I do some tests to ensure it's safe."

Megan found some relief at that, but in Wheeljack's case she decided that a step back couldn't hurt.

How wrong she was.

Megan hadn't noticed that she was already standing quite close to the curve of the metal ring. The back of her foot tangled with the exposed wires and sent her falling backwards unexpectedly. Reflexively her hand shot out for something to hold onto, and grasped the wires that ran upwards to hang precariously from the ring above Wheeljack's helm.

The wires fell all at once in a great tangling net, and before Wheeljack could so much as gasp, the wires fell directly on the exposed power core. A flash of teal light lit up the room like a supernova for a split second before an almighty explosion rocked the base. The concussive force was enough to send dust shaking from metal beams in the roof, and have Ratchet storming from the med bay.

It took both Ratchet and Ironhide to pry the grotesquely warped door from its frame to get inside Wheeljacks workroom. The mech was spread eagle position on the floor out cold in stasis, with no other obvious signs of injury besides a very dented helm and half melted armour. Ratchet was only just finishing his scans when Wheeljack came back online.

"Stay still slaghead. I still have a few more scans to do." Ratchet said crossly.

"W-what happen'?" Wheeljack slurred slightly from the floor, his systems were booting quickly but he felt like he was forgetting something. No, someone, someone important. His ear fins flickered dimly.

"What always happens when you start experimenting. Boom." Ironhide chuckled.

Wheeljack sat up suddenly, shaking his head to clear his processor and causing Ratchet to curse in violent cybertronian. Wheeljacks memory processor had finally come completely online again.

"What about Megan? Where is Megan?" He said frantically, his optics casting around the rubble and wreckage for the little organic femme.

Both Ratchet and Ironhide froze. Sensors cast around the room trying to find any trace of the girl, but there was no organic activity in the room on any level. Indeed, there was no trace that the girl had ever been in the room at all. Even an hour later, an alarm and a desperate search all across the base, no one could find Megan.

* * *

Mirage raced along the roads toward the autobot base, simply enjoying the feeling of the wind over his sleek alt-form. It had been a long time since he had dared to go on a 'joy-ride' simply for the pleasure of it. Even longer since he had some time to simply enjoy time to himself. He had offered to take Megan along with him, knowing all to well how she would quickly get bored and find some kind of trouble to get into.

Surprisingly though the girl had insisted that he go alone, recognizing somehow that the bot needed some solitary time. Mirage sighed to himself. Megan could be as bad as the twins sometimes, but the girl also had a very selfless attitude and no sense of self preservation in the slightest. She never drew attention to her own needs, choosing to bear her friends burdens along with her own if she could. He supposed it was part of her charm, but he sometimes wished she would be a little more selfish.

As he passed the heavily guarded outer fence without a problem he noticed that there appeared to be a disturbance on base. Humans were moving about with more urgency then was normal on such a quiet day and the energy from private comm links were buzzing back and forth like bees. He transformed in front of the hangers at high speed, nearly taking out Ratchet in the process. The CMO looked highly aggravated and was flexing his servos as if longing for a wrench to throw.

"Has something happened? Is there a Decepticon attack?"

Ratchet looked at him with pale optics, anger was plain on his faces plates but as he looked at Mirage there was also a flash of sadness. Ratchet cycled his vents before answering, trying to keep himself calm.

"There… there was a bit of an accident in Wheeljack's lab about one human hour ago. Idiot tried to build a groundbridge, slagged the whole room and the hallway, not to mention melted the plating on his chassis shut."

Mirage chuckled. That would explain Ratchets fury, it was likely the inventor would suffer a large wrench induced dent before he would be released from the med bay. However that didn't account for the humans scurrying about like a kicked ants nest.

"But that is not what has the humans so upset. What is going on Ratchet?"

Ratchet almost seemed to flinch, and clenched his hands again. He relaxed with another heavy sigh, sounding old and tired before looking back into his friends optics. The energon in Mirages lines seemed to freeze as he recognized the look that Ratchet was giving him. It was a look that Ratchet only got when he had to deliver spark-breaking news, and he was now directing that look at Mirage.

"I don't know how else to say this Mirage but… Megan was in the room… she was right next to the bridge when it exploded."

Mirage couldn't move, he couldn't feel, it felt like his body was in stasis but his processor was still online. He wondered emotionlessly if this was what a human 'nightmare' was like. Megan got them all the time, especially in the first few weeks of their meeting. She never would tell him what they were about, she wouldn't tell him what it was that had her so scared.

_'And now she never will.'_ Thought a very cruel, small voice in the back of his processor.

Mirage was only dimly aware that Ratchet was still talking, and grasping his shoulder plates to get his attention.

"Mirage! Listen to me for Primus' sake! Wheeljack thinks there's a possibility she was teleported somewhere else before she could be hit by the concussive force of the blast. There was no trace of her or any part of her in the lab to suggest that she didn't. There's a chance she's still alive. Are you hearing me Mirage?"

Mirage shuttered his optics and grasped that slim hope like a lifeline. He focused in it until he could feel his spark again and his processor unfreeze.

"How likely is it? That she was teleported before the blast?"

Ratchet could only shrug miserably.

"We don't know, but I scanned every inch of that room and couldn't find even a hair to suggest that she didn't do so. Either she teleported or…"

He didn't need to say the rest. She either teleported or there was nothing left of her. Groundbridges, even back on Cybertron, were unstable at best. They were only really used by those who were in both a great hurry and feeling slightly reckless. He had once heard of an exploding groundbridge that three mechs had gotten caught in. Nothing was ever found of them, and they were never heard from again.

Mirage felt the numbness begin to leak away, only to be replaced by another emotion, one just as foreign to the normally impassive spy. It was white hot anger, sharp and focused like a knife edge. Ratchet was stunned to see such a look on Mirage's faceplates and reached out to grab the spies arm to stop him.

But he was to late.

Mirage had already activated his cloak and easily dodged the medics grasp. He was practically half way to the med bay before the comm went out to stop him. But how can you stop what you can't see or scan? He weaved around, over and under his fellow autobots, a mere ripple in the air as he passed them. He ducked past the twins and shut the med bay doors before they could even turn around and wonder what happened.

He locked the med bay doors and deactivated his cloak, knowing he likely only had until Ratchet could reach the doors to unlock them. Enough time to beat Wheeljacks faceplates into the back of his helm. The mech in question was sitting on a berth half stripped of his plating. He appeared calm but the nervous flashing of his ear fins gave him away. Mirage heard a call coming in for his private comm link but he dismissed it without a second thought.

Wheeljack looked considerably smaller without his outer plating, he was also battered from the explosion and the look in his optics made Mirages temper waver. Another notice of a call for his private comm snapped him out of that thought process and brought back his anger full force as he again dismissed the call. Wheeljack dropped his optics to the floor. Mirage's vocal processor sounded strained as he spoke. He struggled to keep as composed as he normally was, but the cracks were showing.

"Why Wheeljack? She was in the room… you know she shouldn't have been there. Not while you were experimenting."

Wheeljack seemed to sink in on himself.

"She was trying to get me into recharge. I wasn't testing it… I thought it was safe. The wires… and the core… it was an accident."

Mirage was suddenly grasping Wheeljack by what was left of his chest plates and lifting the bot off the berth. Something In Mirages processor cracked and a wave of anger made his eyes glow nearly white.

"Everything's an accident around you Wheeljack! You find something new and what's the first thing you do? You blow it up! She was right there you fragging glitch! YOU BREAK EVERYTHING!"

The notice for a call on his private comm flashed in his vision once again. Out of pure anger he answered it just so he could yell at the slag head who dared to interrupt him.

:WHAT?!:

The line was silent for a long moment, before a very familiar voice came through the line.

"Umm… sorry Mirage. Is this a bad time? 'Cause I can call back later if you want."

Mirages spark seemed to freeze before leaping with joy at the sound of his charges voice. She sounded tired, and the hitch in her breathing suggested she was hurt or in pain. He dropped Wheeljack back onto the berth just as the med bay doors opened, Optimus and Ratchet in the forefront.

:Megan? Is that you?: He quickly transferred the private comm onto the open channel, every mech present froze and in a split second tapped into the call to listen. Mirage let them, too intent on his charges voice to care.

"Ya it's me you slag head. What do you think you were doing hanging up on me all those times? You always answer on the first ring."

Mirage glanced at the guilty Wheeljack.

:I was busy. Where are you Megan? Are you hurt?:

"No I'm not hurt. I have a goose-egg growing on my head the size of Texas but otherwise I seem to be fine. Listen, I have no idea where I am and the battery on my phone is going to crap out any minute now. You'd think I'd learn by now to keep it charged."

:We'll try to pin down your location through your phone just stay on the line as long as you can.: Optimus said with a calm authority.

:What can you tell us of your surroundings?: Ratchet asked as he tried to triangulate the call.

"Well first of all it's really slaggin' dark. I think I'm in some kind of building, can't see much but there's… shelves? And the air smells sweet for some reason. How the heck did I get here again?"

:It would appear that when the Groundbridge exploded you were teleported by accident. Without a control panel it is impossible to tell where you've ended up. Just stay on line Ratchet will have you location in a minute.: Optimus said calmly.

"Is Wheeljack ok?"

:I'm fine. We're just worried about you.: Wheeljack said and flinched at the glare he got from Mirage.

"That's good, I'm glad your ok 'Jack. Ok I think I see a door, there must be a light switch around here somewhere. Ow! Stubbed my toe, I'm fine. Man, what is that smell? It's driving me nuts and it smells a lot… like… like..."

Megan's scream was quickly cut off by her dying cell phone and the call ended. Mirage was in a near state of panic.

"Megan! Frag it all! Ratchet, where is she?"

"West Virginia, Fairmont, Sandal avenue in the warehouse district."

"Bluestreak, alert Lennox of the situation and have him ready the plane. Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Ratchet, Mirage and I will go to retrieve Megan. The rest of you stay here on stand by, be ready to roll out at a moments notice."

Bluestreak dashed off and the other bots nodded, none daring to question the wisdom of their Prime. Except for Wheeljack that is.

"I'm coming to." Wheeljack said as he stumbled to his feet.

"Oh no your **not**!" Exclaimed Ratchet as he shoved Wheel jack back onto the berth none to gently.

"With how much plating I had to remove you can't even transform properly. You'll be staying _right here_, on this berth if I have to weld you there myself! Compute?"

"But…"

Ratchet made as if to reach for his welder and Wheeljack shut up. Sunstreaker chose that moment to speak up.

"As much as it pains me to say this, Ratchets right. You can't transform like you are right now Wheeljack, you'll only slow us down."

Wheeljack sat quietly on the berth, his optics looking at the floor once again. Mirage had no sympathy in his spark for the inventor as Optimus gave the order to roll out. Fifteen minutes later they were in the air flying as fast as they could to West Virginia, and Mirage's charge.

* * *

Megan didn't know what she did to deserve this, but she hoped she would do it again. She had found the light switch and flipped it on. It had taken her only a moment for her eyes to adjust and realize where the sweet smell was coming from. Her 'scream' was actually a squeal of excitement because Megan was pretty sure that Wheeljacks groundbridge had just teleported her straight to heaven.

She was in a smallish warehouse with several tall and long shelves stacked with boxes upon boxes of chocolate. Yup, chocolate. Megan had been teleported into the warehouse of a chocolatier business and boy was she happy about it.

"Oh my gosh! This place is amazing, there's enough chocolate to choke a Decepticon with and give Ratchet a spark attack! I don't know where I am guys but I don't think you need to worry to much." She giggled into her phone.

"Guys?"

She looked at her phone, the screen was dark, the battery completely spent. Megan worried for a moment if they had managed to get her location before the smell of chocolate distracted her. She first tried the door that she had found but it was locked both from both inside and out without the key. She sighed and figured that it was probably best if she waited until someone came and unlocked the door instead of breaking the small window. She didn't want to be the cause of property damage and she also wasn't in to much of a hurry to leave.

She wandered for a little while up and down the shelves, drooling over all the different candies and sweets she was happily trapped with. She was hesitant to open any boxes and eat any of the said candy, despite her hunger, but then she noticed that each had a smaller box labelled 'Samples' which she reasoned to herself was free game.

"I'm so happy." She pretended to cry to herself as she munched on a hazelnut milk chocolate.

She had seen her address on the boxes, and was a little surprised to find herself in West Virginia, but figured that it could have been much worse. After all the groundbridge could have sent her to the other side of the world and not here. Hours later she was fast asleep with numerous chocolate wrappers laying around her as some very loud engines rumbled past.

Mirage was on edge, and though he tried to hide his nerves he felt like his processor was going to crack from the strain. He raced in front of the convoy and was the first at the warehouse district, he revved his engine with impatience as the others caught up. Nothing seemed out of place and that only managed to increase Mirages anxiety.

:Which warehouse is she in Ratchet?: He snapped impatiently at the CMO.

:Just give my scanners a second you slagger.: Ratchet snapped back. They were all on edge, not knowing what to expect when they found their little friend.

:There! Her biological signature is coming from the small one on the end.:

The sound of a very loud engine woke Megan from her happy chocolate filled dreams. Her stomach wasn't all to happy with her but it wasn't so bad that she couldn't ignore it. She got up from her corner feeling slightly cramped and cold from the unforgiving concrete but she'd had worse.

The sound of metal being twisted, beaten and crushed filled the air and she had to cover her ears to protect them from the sound. The delivery doors were being ripped down from the outside, and in quite a violent manner at that. She ducked behind a shelf just in case whatever was doing the crushing wasn't completely friendly. She needn't have worried because not a moment later Mirage threw the mangled door to the ground and poked his head into the warehouse.

"Mirage! Am I glad to see you." She ran over to her guardian. He crouched down and scanned her several times as he picked her up.

"Megan, are you damaged? We heard you scream before the call was cut off and came as fast as we could. Are you alright?" Megan had never heard her guardian so ruffled and immediately did her best to sooth him.

"I'm fine Mirage. I actually just squealed in excitement, I mean I was literally like a kid locked in a candy store. It was like a dream come true, but I think I've had enough chocolate to last me for a week or two."

"You won't be having it for months if I have any say." Ratchet griped as he snatched her from her hovering guardian. Ratchet then proceeded to scan her from head to toe at varying levels of intensity. She giggled and squirmed as the scans have the tendency to tickle. Everybot was relieved to see no harm had come to her and they sent several comms back to base to alert the others. Mirage was lectured by Optimus about the door he just ruined and the base had money sent to the owners of the warehouse to have it fixed.

One long plane ride, one cranky CMO's constant scans, a hovering guardian and a pair of action disappointed twins later and Megan was back on base. Much to the relief of all her autobot and human friends. She was told later of how dangerous and unstable groundbridges were on a normal basis, let alone an exploding one. Megan counted herself lucky to not only be alive but in one piece.

Ratchet held good on his promise to not let her have chocolate, luckily the twins took a little sympathy on her and occasionally snuck her the odd candy. For days Mirage was to paranoid to let her out of his sight, he finally backed off after Megan had said he was worse then a clingy Bumblebee. He backed off after that, if only to prove that if there was one thing the spy wasn't, it was clingy. There was only one problem left to solve from the whole unfortunate accident.

Wheeljack had been avoiding her like the plague. Every time she walked into the same room as him he would dart away like a frightened cat. It didn't help matters that Mirage would glare daggers at the inventor either. It was almost a week after the whole groundbridge incident before Megan was able to ditch Mirage and corner Wheeljack in his new lab.

The whole incident had resulted in Wheeljack getting an entire small hanger to himself for his new lab, to avoid any new accidents. Megan poked her head in and knocked lightly on the sheet metal wall.

"Knock, knock." She called not wanting to startle the working inventor to badly.

She might as well have jumped behind him and screamed 'boo!'. He jumped so high that the ground shook a little when he landed, and the tool in his hand fell with a loud clang. He was startled by her presence and seemed even more nervous that she was, again, in his lab. He stood in the middle of the large room, as if afraid to touch anything and accidentally break it.

"Megan. What a… nice surprise, but you shouldn't be here. I must insist that you leave, it's not safe." Wheeljack's optics scanned the room, the walls and the floor. As if he couldn't look her in the face. Megan crossed her arms stubbornly.

"No."

That got him to look at her, if only for a second in surprise. She crossed the room and all but stood on his ped to get him to look her in the eye. When he did she could see plainly all the guilt he was carrying.

"I'm not leaving till you talk to me 'Jack. You've been avoiding me and to be honest that hurts, I thought we were friends."

"We are," he mumbled. "But…"

"But nothing." Megan interrupted him. She sighed and took a few deep breaths to relax before continuing.

"Look, it wasn't your fault what happened with the groundbridge. I was the one who tripped and set the domino effect in motion. If anything it's my fault. We should just be glad that we're both ok and leave it behind us. Even if the worst had happened, and I'd been injured or worse, I wouldn't have blamed you Wheeljack."

He looked down at her now, surprised by the amount of sincerity in her voice.

"You wouldn't?"

"Naw. After all, compared to you guys I'm just a little blip of an existence. Hardly worth noting, or worrying about."

"But that's not true!" Wheeljack exclaimed loudly. Megan jumped back from his ped a little, he had startled her with his outburst.

Wheeljack scooped her up and placed her on his, still mostly empty, worktable. He seemed very agitated by her words.

"You shouldn't say those kinds of things Megan. You didn't see Mirage when he heard that you were missing and… that you might be dead. I don't think any of us have ever seen him so angry in all our vorns."

Megan was surprised. Sure her guardian was a little more protective since the groundbridge incident but she didn't think anything of it.

"Mirage, angry? Are we talking about the same mech here? Mirage never gets really mad at anyone but a Decepticon, I would know because I've tried. That mech doesn't have an angry bolt in his frame." Wheeljack shook his head at her words.

"You didn't see it though. His servo was about to greet my faceplates when he answered your call. He even called me a fragging glitch, though I kind of deserved it." He rubbed his helm bashfully.

"But Mirage never swears." She says, a little stunned.

Wheeljack placed his servo at her back.

"He cares about you Megan, we all do. Is it really that hard to see?" Megan didn't know how to respond to that. She shuffled her feet awkwardly and cleared her throat.

"Well, I'd better go find Mirage before he comes looking for me. I get the feeling he wouldn't appreciate me being in here."

"No I don't think he would be very happy about that, and I like my faceplates the way they are." Wheeljacks ear fins flashed with amusement. He placed her back on the floor, and before she left she turned back to him.

"No more hiding or running away from me, ok Wheeljack? Or I'll have to corner you in here again and then Mirage and Ratchet will have your aft."

"No more running, I promise." He chuckled.

Megan wanders the tall hallways of the Autobot base, thinking hard about what Wheeljack had told her. She shook her head, trying to act normal. She couldn't tell the others, not yet, maybe not ever.

"Don't go getting attached Megan. Don't do it because it will only hurt them." She muttered sadly to herself.

But she knew that it was already to late for that.

* * *

**READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!**


	3. Chapter 3: A misunderstanding

**Here's a little fluff for you all. I don't know if it's any good so let me know what you think. If your reading this and haven't read 'Never say Goodbye' then you may be a little confused. Read, review and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, but I do own Megan.**

"Talking"  
_'Thinking'_  
:Comm link:  
**"Cybertronian Speak"**

* * *

In human communication the tragedy begins, not when there is a misunderstanding about words, but when silence is not understood.

-Henry David Thoreau

* * *

"Hey Bee? Could you put me down here?"

In one smooth motion Bumblebee reached up with a gentle hand, plucked his charge from his shoulder and set him on the ground. Mirage observed this activity from across what was affectionately called the 'wreck room' but was the recreational room for many of the Autobots and their charges to relax and refuel. Mirage watched as Sam made his way to the human sized kitchen after giving his Guardian a grateful smile. Bumblebee noticed Mirages sudden interest in his charge and raised an optic ridge in his direction.

**"Is something the matter Mirage?"** Bumblebee asked in a confused way, curious about the sudden interest from the spy.

**"No, nothing is the matter. I am merely… curious."**

Bumblebee came over to where Mirage had been observing leaning against the far wall.

**"Curious about what, exactly?"**

Mirage hesitated, slightly unsure whether or not he was crossing some invisible line he was unaware of.

**"I am puzzled about why so many Autobots have taken to carrying humans around as if they were pets."**

It was something he had noticed fairly soon after arriving on base. He had seen every bot on base at some point or another with a human either in hand or perched on a shoulder. Bumblebee was rarely seen without Sam on his person, or Ironhide without either Will or Annabelle. Mirage had even spotted Optimus with a human or two in hand, conversing about files, and Optimus was the last bot Mirage would ever expect to treat sentient beings as pets.

Bumblebee shook his head and made a buzzer like noise from his radio. Though his vocal processor was fixed he sometimes reverted back to expressing himself through comm links and the radio from habit.

**"I think your misunderstanding the intention behind it Mirage, or at least misreading it. Humans have a number of unwritten rules about personal space and in our daily interactions with them we make sure to respect those rules."**

**"Then what is it that causes such a breach in those rules for them to allow themselves to be carried as if they are unable to walk under their own power?"**

It just didn't make sense to the proud mech. If he was in the human's shoes (so to speak) he would see the offer to be carried as a kind of deadly insult to his own ability. Especially seeing as how humans were already viewed as a less advanced and an overall weaker species in comparison. Bumblebee pondered the question for a moment.

**"Sometimes it's just because it's the practical thing to do. I mean think about it. We're many times their height and can walk short distances much faster. If you have a human trying to converse with you while you walk they would have to sprint to keep up."**

That made sense to Mirage, he could understand that, but what Bumblebee said next startled him.

**"However there is also an element of trust involved on the human's part."**

**"Trust? How so?"**

Bumblebee gave him a look that plainly said the answer should be obvious. Mirage wanted to smack himself because the answer was indeed very plain. Of course it would take trust on the humans part, they were quite literally putting their lives in the hands of another being. A very tall and powerful being. All it could take was one moment of inattention on the mech's behalf and the human could fall and become badly injured at the very least. It seemed like a huge risk and responsibility.

**"So to answer your original question we don't carry them because we see them as weak or inferior. We do it as a sign of respect and that we care for them, while at the same time by them accepting that they trust us."**

Mirage was silent for a time, processing what Bumblebee had told him. He had indeed misinterpreted the meaning behind the behavior. He had seen it as an insult to pride, when it was actually a gesture of recognition and trust. It was because of his short-sighted thinking that he had never offered the same to Megan. In the time they had spent together he had come to learn that she was fiercely independent and he had come to respect her for it.

He looked over to where Megan was speaking with Sam. She was poking absentmindedly at her lunch while nodding to whatever it was that Sam was saying. What would she think if he offered to carry her? Would she see it as an insult to her independence? She had told him before that she would trust him. What if he offered and she refused because she didn't trust him that deeply? Or worse what if she hated him for even mentioning it?

He had seen other mech's offer her a ride, and she almost always waved them away. If she could get to a place without a boost she would use the stairs. Was she perhaps also misinterpreting the gesture like he had? Bumblebee noticed his questioning look at Megan, and interrupted his musing.

**"You'll never know if you don't ask Mirage. I think her answer may surprise you."**

It was then that Sam came over with a request to go to town.

* * *

Megan was sitting in the human sized kitchen in the wreck room when Bumblebee came in with Sam perched on his shoulder. She felt a small pang of jealousy wash over her as she watched Bee set the young man down on his feet. She turned her attention back to the lunch of veggies and asparagus Ratchet had ordered her to eat. She stabbed the offending vegetables, wishing deeply she that had no reason to be jealous of Sam.

Sam came over to the kitchen and started to make himself a sandwich. She picked at her lunch trying not to ask the question that burned in her mind, but she couldn't seem to hold it in anymore.

"How did you do it?"

Sam paused with his sandwich halfway to his mouth and cocked his head to one side.

"Uh? Do what?"

Megan gestured over to where Bumblebee and Mirage were conversing in cybertronian. The language sounded like a combination of angry kitchen appliances and dial-up computer so Megan couldn't make heads or tail of what they could be speaking of.

"How did you get Bee to care about you so much? I mean I don't think I've seen you guys apart from each other more than a day tops. And he's always carrying you everywhere."

Sam put his sandwich down and looked at Megan carefully.

"I'm just lucky I guess. He cares about me enough to give me a boost and I trust him enough not to drop me. It's always kinda been like that for us."

Megan grimaced and poked at her meal sadly. Sam may be an oblivious, hormonal teenage boy but he could tell when something was wrong.

"What's bugging you Megan? You're acting kind of funny."

Megan glanced over at Mirage and sighed.

"It's just… I don't think Mirage cares for me very much. I mean we've traveled together, faced Decepticon attacks and he's saved my life more then a few times. But ever since we've arrived on base he's been distant, and he never offers to carry me like Bee does for you. I can't help but feel like maybe he just doesn't care."

Megan bit her lip, fearing that she had too much. She hated that she sounded so petty but Mirage had been acting so cold to her lately that she couldn't help but feel a little hurt. Sam took a large bite of his sandwich before asking another question.

"But what about the other day? I mean Jazz asked if you wanted a ride to the hanger and you shot him down saying you preferred walking. Don't you trust the other bots not to drop you?"

"Of course I trust them, I care and trust all the bots and if it was a good reason I would ride on any of their shoulders. But how would you feel if other bots were always offering you a ride and not Bumblebee?"

Sam nodded and muttered around his mouthful of sandwich.

"Point taken."

Megan sighed again and looked at her plate not really seeing it.

"I trust Mirage the most out of all the bots, but he never offers. Maybe he just doesn't care enough to bother with me."

Sam swallowed the other half of his sandwich, before shaking his head at Megan's statement.

"I don't think that's possible. After all you two went through together how could he not care? You know the other bots were really surprised when he first showed up with you? Said they it was more likely seeing Megatron in a tutu then Mirage with a human. Apparently he's a pretty reclusive bot who didn't have much of a regard for organics."

Megan nodded. She could still remember when Mirage had planned on abandoning her, she wondered for a moment if he decided not to because of the Decepticons or some other reason. He was still very reserved around his fellow Autobots.

"So if it's not that he doesn't care then why doesn't he offer?"

Sam pondered for a moment before answering hesitatingly.

"Maybe… he doesn't trust himself. I mean every time you're picked up by a mech you have to trust they won't accidentally drop you. I know Bee sometimes hesitates to offer because he worries that he could be putting me at risk if he gets distracted. It's a pretty big responsibility."

Megan thought about it for a minute, and it made sense. Megan had told Mirage before that she trusted him, so perhaps his hesitance came from not trusting himself. Sam finished his sandwich and gave Megan a smile.

"All you can do is wait for him to offer, and when he does, don't hesitate. Hey if you're done do you want to go to town? New movies playing at the drive-in."

"Sure."

She cleaned her plate of the last few veggies and watched as Bumblebee once again picked up his charge and set him on his shoulder. Bee offered his other hand to Megan with a questioning chirp.

"No it's alright, I can walk to the hanger." She waved the yellow mech away trying not to glance at Mirage out of the corner of her eye.

Bumblebee nodded gave Mirage one last look before walking from the room. Megan turned to follow, very aware of the red mech behind her. Mirage watched as she turned down Bumblebee's offer of a ride, but couldn't figure out her reasoning behind the refusal. She didn't seem offended with Bumblebee, she almost looked… disappointed? She turned to follow after the mech. He cleared his vocal processor with a polite cough.

Megan turned to look at him, carefully keeping her face neutral. She looked up into his brightly glowing blue eyes. Keeping eye contact Mirage slowly lowered his hand to the ground, but didn't say anything, asking her a question in his own silent way. He was wary, on edge, and very worried that he was offending her. Though he would never admit to such an emotion.

In that moment Megan was both stunned and incredibly happy. A wide smile broke across her face and to Mirage's great surprise she didn't hesitate to step into his palm. With great care he stood, finally realizing the truth behind what Bumblebee had spoken of and they continued on their way, as if nothing of great importance had happened.

* * *

**Ok say it with me: AWWWW! Read and review please!**


	4. Chapter 4: Payback

This one is a funny to give you all a chuckle. Remember to read Never say Goodbye and to review at the bottom! There is a lil bit of swearing so you've been warned.

"Talking"

:Comm link:

_'Thinking'_

* * *

'If payback's a bitch and revenge is sweet, I'm the sweetest bitch you'll ever meet.' -By unknown

* * *

Megan was feeling unusually happy as she skipped through the halls of NEST, but she had a good reason to be. Mirage had promised to take her swimming at a forest lake with Sam, Mikayla, and Bumblebee where it was secluded enough for the bot's to be in their bi-pedal form if they wanted. Mirage had even asked Optimus for the time off his busy schedule to take her. The small bag of her things bounced against her hip as she bounced along.

Megan whistled a merry tune as she made her way to the main hanger, waving to some of the soldiers she knew as she passed. Bumblebee, Sam and Mikayla were already there with a large packed lunch and a couple of towels ready to go. Bumblebee had both the teenagers perched on his knees as they talked among themselves. Bee was the first to see Megan walk in and chirped a greeting, Sam turned and greeted her as well.

"Hey Megan, you ready to go?"

"Yup, got all my things right here. Any idea where Mirage is?"

"I think he might have gone to tell Ratchet you'll be missing your check-up." Mikayla said after a moments thought.

"Oh, right. That was today, well even better that we're getting off base then." Megan smiled.

The four of them laughed at that. No one really liked a check-up from Ratchet, but Megan actually didn't mind them too much. The mech was like a larger, slightly gruffer, metal version of her worrywart of an aunt. Though the grumpy CMO often gave his fellow Autobots a good dent for their stupidity, he was incredibly careful with the humans in his care. It was one of the reasons Megan trusted the mech as much as she did, because she could tell he cared, though he didn't show it.

"It's strange though, he's always on time." Megan said as she glanced at her watch.

The time said 12:06 and they had agreed to meet at the main hanger at noon. Mirage would usually be the first mech at any meeting place. No matter hell or high water, if Mirage said he was gong to be somewhere he was there, so Megan had a niggling feeling that something was wrong.

"Hey Bee, could you comm Mirage? Ask him where he is?"

Bee nodded and tilted his head to one side as his optics dimmed for a moment. When his optics brightened again he made a worried clicking noise and used a radio clip of a little girl saying 'uh oh'.

"Bee? What's the matter?"

Bumblebee looked nervous, and rubbed his helm before replying in his normal voice.

"It would seem that Mirage has been put in the brig."

Megan blinked a few times, trying to first understand what Bee had said, then trying to make the mental image of Mirage in the brig work. Finally it clicked at Megan came up with the proper response.

"WHAT!?"

Megan stormed away from the main hanger like a thundercloud, her previous good mood all but a memory. There was no whistling now and soldiers who saw her coming were careful to stay out of her way as she approached the brig. The guard on duty merely nodded politely and opened the door for her.

She marched over to the holding cells, planted her feet and glared at her large red mech, who actually had the decency to look at least slightly ashamed. There was a moment of silence, except for the hum of energon bars, Megan arched an eyebrow at Mirage's petulant look.

"Care to explain yourself?"

"Megan, it really-"

"I mean if you really didn't want to go you just had to say something."

"You don't understand I-"

"So did you play along just to get my hopes up?"

"Megan-"

"Or were you planning to do this from the beginning?"

"Megan-"

"Then again you could say you weren't and how would I know I'm just-"

"MEGAN!"

A pause in the storm, Megan waited for a moment, giving Mirage a chance to explain himself. Mirage vented a sigh before speaking.

"First of all, I was looking forward to getting off base. Secondly; in my defence I am not in here of my own doing, not entirely anyway." Mirage glared at the cell opposite his own.

Megan had been so angry she hadn't even noticed that Mirage wasn't in the brig alone, he had two twin terrors for company. Sideswipe was laying on the large shelf that doubled as a berth his hands behind his head and a smirk of satisfaction on his face. Sunstreaker was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, completely ignoring them all, which was normal. Megan narrowed her eyes at the duo.

"Well, that explains a lot. What did you two do this time?"

Megan was not at all fooled by the innocent widening of Sideswipes optics.

"Who us? We are just as innocent here."

"Ya, right. You two haven't been innocent since the day you were sparked." Megan scoffed.

"I'm afraid to say that they managed to trick me." Mirage sighed.

"How?" Megan was surprised. Mirage was next to impossible to trick, let alone prank. So how had the twins managed it and gotten him stuck in the brig?

"I was in a bit of a rush to get to the med bay to cancel your check-up with Ratchet and still make it to the main hanger in time. Wheeljack sent the twins with the request to borrow my holo-emitter, they were to take it directly to him. He wanted to try his hand at modifying the tech so other bots can use it as well."

"And you just gave it to them? Are you out of your processor?"

"That's what Ratchet asked." Mirage muttered.

"What did they do with it?" Megan pinched the bridge of her nose, dreading the answer. The fact that Mirage was hesitating was only making it worse.

"Before I could find them they had managed to used it to put on part of a strip show for the soldiers in the cafeteria. Using holograms of Lennox and Epps, primarily."

Megan's jaw dropped in astonishment. She really regretted skipping lunch now, and a small part of her was wondering who had a video of the event and where she could get one. The larger part of her was too busy being ticked off at the twins for dragging Mirage into it to be amused. That half of her only grew larger as she heard Sideswipes snicker behind her. She whirled around and glared into the bot's amused optics.

"The look on their faces was absolutely priceless too. Totally worth getting caught by Prowler and three days in the brig."

"You useless pile of scrap. Mirage and I had plans for today! Now he has to waste his time off because you two glitches made him an unintentional accomplice."

Sideswipe just rolled his optics at her insults, but Sunstreaker's optics narrowed and he stiffened with anger.

"Watch it femme." He growled. Mirage stiffened at the mech's tone of voice but relaxed knowing the yellow bot couldn't do anything while in his cell.

"Don't you _femme_ me, you overgrown can opener." Megan waved a hand dismissively, also knowing she was safe from Sunstreaker's anger while behind energon bars.

"She's right Sunny. After all, she doesn't much look like a femme does she?" Sunstreaker caught on to his brother's insult easily.

"No she doesn't. Her hair follicles are as short as a mech's and her curves are far to small." Sunstreaker was now also wearing a smirk similar to his brother's.

Mirage noticed the dangerous calm in his charge and quietly backed up from the bars of his cell, leaving the twins to her mercy. He didn't want to accidentally bring her wrath down on his own head.

"You. Did. Not. Just call me a boy." She glared at the pair of bots with a venom that was usually reserved for Decepticons and Galloway.

Neither bot seemed to be aware of the danger they were practically calling down on their own helms. Like most women Megan was a little sensitive about her looks. She knew very well she would never be a natural beauty like Mikayla and she was alright with that. However they were mocking things that were not her fault and out of her control, like the short hair and her bodies lack of 'curves'. In short, they were pressing the wrong buttons too far.

Then Sideswipe had the audacity to get up off the berth and lean close to the bars with a mocking smile on his faceplates.

"We. Called. You. A. Boy." He said it slowly, as if she would have problems understanding the words.

Megan's eyes flashed as she leaned close and hissed at the pair. She could feel the anger pooling in her stomach and racing through her blood. She hadn't felt this angry for a while and she didn't see a reason to stop it.

"You two better beg Prowl to make this your new room because when you get out I'm going to make you regret saying that."

The twins were so shocked by her reaction they wisely kept silent until she exited to brig and the door closed behind her. Sideswipe turned to his brother,

"Do you think we went too far?" He sounded a little concerned.

Sunstreaker just shrugged showing he really didn't care, the femme couldn't do anything that bad to them, right? Then they heard a rumbling chuckle coming from Mirage as the mech settled on his own berth.

"You two are so slagged." He chortled.

The twins shared a look. If Mirage, the normally emotionless spy bot, was laughing at the thought of what his charge would do to them, maybe they had pushed the wrong human too far.

* * *

Megan stewed as she walked the halls of NEST. She knew she had three days until the twins and Mirage were released. More than enough time to both plan and set up a prank of epic proportions, but she wouldn't be able to do it alone. She made her way to the wreck room where she knew she would find just the bot to help her.

"Hey, Jazz." She called to the silver mech who was lounging on the large metallic 'sofa' engineered for the bot's to relax on. He looked up at the approaching girl with a lopsided grin.

" 'ey lil' lady. What's got your undercarriage in a twist?"

"The twins." She growled, her anger sparked in her eyes again, alerting Jazz just how deep a hole the twins had dug for themselves this time. She took a deep breath and crossed her arms looking up at the Solstice, her eyes now holding a mischievous gleam instead of anger.

"I'm calling in a favor, Jazzman."

Jazz lowered a hand which she immediately climbed onto, he raised her to optic level. Megan didn't know how he could make his visor gleam in such an impish way, but he manage to do it somehow.

"After ya let me use your itunes account, ah course. What did ya have in mind lil' lady?"

Megan let him in on her idea, and the saboteur gave a loud laugh and an evil grin of his own that matched Megan's.

* * *

Three days later the twins and Mirage were released from the brig. Mirage refrained from exacting any revenge of his own on the twins, seeing as he was sure his charge would do more than enough to the pair already. The twins weren't very concerned about the angered human, in fact they had all but forgotten the incident. Only the glares she had shot at them while she visited Mirage reminded them that she was ticked with them.

The first thing that Sunstreaker always did after a stay in the brig was head for the wash racks. Sideswipe who could feel the dust collecting in his joints decided to join his brother. They made their way to their shared bunk which had their own private wash racks attached. It was a new feature at NEST since Wheeljack had arrived, though most bots still preferred human carwashes or even a good bucket and sponge bath. Sunstreaker would sooner offline himself with his own blaster before letting a human wash down his alt-form, so wash racks were necessary to at least keep the bot sane.

While Sunny took his sweet precious time, and all the hot water, Sideswipe relaxed on his own berth. Relishing the feeling after having recharged for three days on the uncomfortable ones in the brig. As he relaxed he got an data pack from Jazz. Without a second thought he opened the pack and barked a laugh at what it contained. His brother commed him from the other room.

:What's so funny?:

:Just got a data pack from Jazz. It's a video of our little performance from three days ago. Wanna see?:

:I get the feeling your going to if I want to or not.: Sunstreaker sighed over the link.

Sideswipe forwarded the data pack, being sure to keep a copy of it for himself, and though his brother pretended to be disinterested he could feel his brother's amusement through their bond. Sideswipe kicked his brother out of the wash rack before he could use all the hot water. He had to squeeze the last of the special armor soap out of it's bottle because his brother had almost used it all, again.

:You should go easy on the soap bro. Almost wasn't enough left for me.:

:Quit your whining. I'm not about to let myself go to rust because I didn't take care of my armor.:

:You kidding? Rust would take one look at your bad attitude and run the other way, just like them con's.:

:Damn straight.:

Once both were finished and Sunny was convinced his armor was properly buffed they went to the wreck room to get some energon. The wreck room was full of mech's and soldiers, apparently there was a football game on and the Cybertronian sized TV was the only one big enough for all of them to watch together. A few of the humans noticed the twins precence, mainly Lennox and Epps, who glared at the pair, which of course didn't effect them in the least.

Sunstreaker just wanted to grab his energon and leave quickly but Jazz came up behind them and clapped the mechs on the back. Sunny gruffly shrugged him away afraid of ruining his paint job, but Jazz just kept smiling.

"So Prowler finally let ya two out uh?"

"Not by choice." Sideswipe grinned.

Jazz chuckled at that and stepped away backward from the twins. His smile went from joking to slightly wicked in a spark beat, confusing the twins.

"Ya know yer big mouths and yer little prank pissed off the wrong person." Jazz said teasingly, only confusing the pair further.

"What, you mean Lennox and Epps? Pfft, we ain't afraid of any human." Sunstreaker said scathingly.

"Nope, ya thinking of the wrong human. 'ey Megan! It's time."

Megan, who was chatting with Mirage in one of the corners turned an gave a chilling smile. The twins thought back to how she had all but sworn revenge for how they had mocked her for looking more like a mech then a femme of her species. They both started to get a sinking feeling in their tanks. Megan shouted at them across the wreck room, catching a lot of the soldiers attention to the scene as she did so.

"Hey 'Sides, Sunny! This is for calling me a boy!"

She revealed a small controller that looked a lot like a tv remote and pressed the large red button in the middle of it. Both Sideswipe and Sunstreaker suddenly felt a very strong tingling sensation at their backs, right where Jazz had slapped them on the backs. Along with the sensation came a very strong pull that just about yanked them off their peds, but the strangest thing was that the pull was bringing the pair closer together. They tried to fight it but within moments they were stuck back to back more solidly than if they had been welded together that way.

The soldiers, completely forgetting the game, were laughing heartily at the struggling duo. Sunstreaker shook violently shook himself back and forth trying to dislodge his brother but that only succeeded in giving them both a processor ache. Suddenly the soldiers started exclaiming in surprise, whistling and making catcalls.

Megan grinned evilly as the chemical she had 'borrowed' from Wheeljack and slipped into the soap bottle in their wash rack took effect. The chemical, after being added to water and after an hour of completely drying changed the color of whatever it coated. So as Megan watched the pair of stuck twins quickly began to turn a horrible shade of hot pink that all but burned the eyes to look at.

Sunstreaker noticed with a gasp as his precious yellow paint began to change. Megan saw this as the signal to strike with the coup de grâce and hit the second largest button on the remote. Which activated the dormant virus that Jazz had helped her to plant in the data pack he had sent them earlier. It was a harmless virus, seeing as it only modified their vocal processors.

"MY PAINT!"

A very feminine screech came from Sunny's vocal processor. The soldiers cracked up at the sound and sight of a hot pink Sunstreaker screaming like a girl who had just discovered a broken nail. A few of them were even on the floor at this point, tears streaming down their faces. The twins had mocked her for looking like a boy, so she had essentially turned the pair into femmes.

At the press of a button both Sunstreaker's and Sideswipes voices had been changed to sound like high voiced teenage girls. Sunstreaker went nuts, literally seeing red and trying to get at Megan and Jazz in the far corner of the wreck room. Unfortunately for him though Sideswipe dragged him down, the normally graceful twins fell in a heap of girlish screams and hot pink. Sideswipe was giggling like a little girl, far to amused with how his voice sounded, and trying to calm his brother at the same time.

It took an hour to calm the upset Sunstreaker and get the pair into the med bay. Megan had hidden the remote so the twins would have to suffer in the med bay. At least until Ratchet could wipe out the virus and deactivate the powerful electric magnets that kept the pair stuck together. The twins had naturally tried to point out Megan as the perpetrator of the prank.

But with Megan denying their claim, Jazz and Mirage giving her an alibi and the security tapes mysteriously missing (thanks to a certain saboteur) there was no solid proof of the twins claim. Prowl had interrogated some of the soldiers trying to find the culprit, but none of the soldiers were stupid enough to give Megan away. When Prowl had finally given up she had gotten many pats on the back from approving soldiers. Especially Lennox and Epps, both of which had taken great pleasure in the twins humiliation.

" 'lil lady, it was pleasure working with ya." Jazz extended a finger for her to shake.

"The pleasure was all mine. It wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly without you Jazzman."

"Nah, ye would ah found a way. I best be goin', I got a patrol shift to get to. Ah'll see ya later lil' lady." Jazz swaggered off with a wink and was gone.

Megan leaned back into her guardian, completely content and feeling very smug at having gotten her revenge on the terror twins. Mirage looked down on his charge with a new-found respect. Who knew such a little femme could have that big of a revenge streak in her.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." He muttered.

"You'll be fine. As long as you never mock me by calling me a boy." She grinned evilly up at him.

The two settled against each other in the now quiet wreck room, admiring calm after the storm together.

"Hey, Mirage?"

"Yes?"

"Did you manage to get it all on video?"

"Every second of it."

"Excellent."

* * *

**Mwahahahaha! Revenge is sweet indeed. Just to warn you guys that the plot bunnies have attacked but many of them I cannot post at this time because they reveal to much for 'Never say Goodbye'. Eventually they will be posted so just be patient and read NSG, k? As always remember to read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Music

**I just stayed up all fraggin' night to type this so the slaggin' plot bunny screaming in my ear would shut up. (sorry about the cybertronian swearing I'm very tired) This chapter relates heavily back to the conversation had between Megan and Mirage in chapter 8 of Never say Goodbye. The one where they talk about music. Since this came out of my sleep deprived brain I have no idea if it's slag or not so let me know by reading and reviewing. Enjoy the song fic fluff.**

**IMPORTANT: Listen to the songs as you read. That's the way I wrote it, and intended for it to be read, so for the full impact do it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs mentioned, I don't own Transformers, but Megan is mine.**

* * *

"Talking"  
_'Thinking'_  
:Comm link:

* * *

Life, he realized, was much like a song. In the beginning there is mystery, in the end there is confirmation, but it's in the middle where all the emotion resides to make the whole thing worthwhile.

-Nickolas Sparks

* * *

It was a quiet day, with no pranks (the twins were brigged again), no recent Wheeljack explosions, and no Decepticon alerts that found Mirage lounging on the metallic sofa in the empty wreck room on base. However much the overly proper mech ever did relax, it didn't look like much. But to those who knew him, knew by the way his door wings weren't standing at attention and how his joints weren't as stiff as normal, that Mirage was in one of his rare relaxed moods.

Mirage turned off a number of unnecessary subroutines and set his system on a lower power setting, just short of sending himself into recharge. Megan had gone to town with Mikayla to go shopping, taking Sam and Bumblebee with them. Mirage had decided that his charge was safe enough with the scout and would rather stay at base. Besides he had an interesting puzzle that Megan had given him to occupy his processor.

* * *

A few days ago:

Mirage scanned the main hanger looking for Megan, and vented a sigh when he didn't spot her. He had been looking for her for over an hour, she wasn't in any of the usual places like the wreck room or the med bay. He looked toward the open hanger doors and made his way toward them. Perhaps she was enjoying the last of the summer heat. His guess paid off because he immediately spotted her stretched out on a small patch of grass just outside the hanger.

Megan was dressed in her normal grass stained blue jeans and a worn gray tank top, her shoes were kicked off so she could enjoy the feeling of the grass between her toes. She had her eyes closed and was bobbing her head to the song on her ipod, so she didn't notice his presence until his shadow blocked out the sunlight she was basking in. She already had a smile on her face as she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Hey, what's up?" She inquired as she took one of her headphones out of her ear.

"Nothing. I am merely making sure you are not making trouble with the twins." Mirage stated as he took a seat beside her. Megan put a hand to her heart as if his words had wounded her but the look in her eye gave her away.

"Who, me? Never." She chuckled and leaned back and restarted the new song she was listening to repeatedly.

Mirage didn't bother to ask what song she was listening to and instead turned up his audio receptors and accessed the human internet to identify it. What he found surprised him, because when he compared the song to what he already knew of Megan's musical tastes it stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Megan, why are you listening to that song? I have cross referenced it to the other songs on your playlist and it does not seem to suit the normal pattern of your preferences."

Megan looked down at the cover art for Fort minor's song _Where'd you go_, then looked back up at Mirage with a shrug.

"I like it. It speaks to me."

Mirage shook his head in frustration, muttering about his inability to understand human music. Megan laughed but quickly sobered when she remembered that it really was something that bugged Mirage, though he never would talk about it. Megan thought about it for a minute before trying to explain.

"I can't tell you why other people like certain kinds of music, but I can try to explain why I like my songs." She offered in a voice that left him free to decline if he so chose. Mirage looked down at her and after a moment's hesitation nodded his helm. Megan smiled and scrolled through her playlist as she spoke.

"For a lot of my music there's an initial attraction to some aspect of it. Like having a catchy beat or tune, the songs that I really like have meaningful lyrics that tell a story or remind me of someone or something. It doesn't even have to be all the lyrics, it can just be a single sentence that catches my attention and makes me think. For example… this one reminds me of Bluestreak."

Megan put her ipod on Sleeping with Siren's _Rodger Rabbit_ and turned on the speakers. Megan watched Mirage's reactions as they both listened. The song started with a beat, a simple strum on a guitar and a hum before the lyrics started.

Is there a right way for how this goes  
You've got your friends  
And you've got your foes  
They want a piece of something hot  
Forget your name like they forgot

Ain't that something

Some wanna see you crash and burn  
I criticize your every word  
I'm trying to keep from going insane  
Ain't that the way of this whole damn thing

Trying to be something..

More.

Mirage puzzled over the meaning of the lyrics, but none of them really stood out to him in regards to Bluestreak. The way the words were spoken in an almost too-fast-to-catch way did though, because that was often how the young gunner spoke in normal conversation. Then the music changed from one beat and a simple guitar chord to sudden build into a larger symphony of music.

Nobody's gonna love you if  
You can't display a way to capture this  
Nobody's gonna hold your hand  
And guide you through  
No it's up for you to understand  
Nobody's gonna feel your pain  
When all is done  
and it's time for you to walk away

So when you have today  
You should say all that you have to say

Say all that you have to say

The music fell back into the same simple guitar chord and beat that it had at the beginning as an inkling of understanding trickled into Mirage's processor. From what little Mirage knew of Bluestreak's past and what time he had spent fighting with him, he knew that the young bot had his demons. Just like every other mech that fought in the war. Mirage concentrated on the music again before he missed them.

Is there a right way for being strong  
Feels like I'm doing things all wrong  
Still I'm here just holding on  
Confess my heart and forgive my wrongs

Just trying to show you something..  
More

Nobody's gonna love you if  
You can't display a way to capture this  
Nobody's gonna hold your hand  
And guide you through  
It's up for you to understand  
Nobody's gonna feel your pain  
When all is done  
And it's time for you to walk away

When you have today  
You should say all that you have to say

Don't point the blame when you can't find nothing  
Look to yourself and you might find something  
It's time that we sorted out  
All of the things  
We complain about

Mirage felt his processor click when he heard the crescendo of music. Megan had said that the lyrics reminded her of Bluestreak, and the bot certainly did say all that he had to say. The song also spoke of having regrets and moving on. It was surprising that Megan had chosen this song for Bluestreak, because it showed a lot of understanding for the gunner. Mirage wondered if she had spoken to Bluestreak about his past, and if so just how much the bot had opened up to the young human. Mirage was willing to bet he had opened up a lot for Megan to place this song to him.

So listen close to the sound of your soul  
Take back a life  
We led once before  
If it ain't you then who  
If it ain't you  
Then who's gonna love you

Nobody's gonna love you if  
you can't display a way to capture this  
Nobody's gonna hold your hand  
And guide you through  
It's up for you to understand  
Nobody's gonna feel your pain  
When all is done  
And it's time for you to walk away

When you have today  
You should say all that you have to say

So when you have today  
Say all that you have to say.

The song ended and Mirage brought his attention to the human sitting beside him, who was already finding another song. She found her song and looked back up at him, explaining again before pressing play.

"So it was just a line or two in that song that initially reminded me of Bluestreak and grew on me from there. Then there are songs that have an entire underlying message to them that make me think, like this one reminds me of Jazz." Megan pressed play for Charlie Brown's _On my way_.

Move in circles at night,  
You've given up the fight  
Like the streets that you're always walking on...  
You died inside,  
And you don't know why  
So you try to turn the light on...

At first Mirage was confused. The lyrics sounded nothing like how Jazz would speak or think in any given situation. Was Megan trying to point out Jazz's personality by contrast and comparing him to a song that didn't suit him at all? He looked down at her, a question plainly showing in his optics. Megan just smiled and motioned for him to wait and listen. So he did. The beat of the song suddenly changed once again.

But stand up and never say never  
'Cause this life is gonna get better  
Take a breath, shake it off and say  
I'm on my way  
You been down and feel so fed up  
When they tell you, you might not get up  
Might not be on top of the world but hey  
Here's what you say  
You might work but I work harder  
You might fight but I fight smarter  
Might not be on the top of the world but hey  
I'm on my way  
You might fly but I fly higher  
You're so hot but I'm on fire  
Might not be on top of the world but hey  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way

Megan was bobbing her head to the beat a smile on her face, and even Mirage had to admit it was very catchy. Mirage understood now why Megan had chosen this song for Jazz. Jazz was very much an upbeat mech, and even at the height of the war would find some way to boost morale. He gave hope to those mech's who thought they had long since given it up. Mirage was sure that without Jazz the war would have been lost long ago. This song sounded a lot like Jazz's own personal method to life.

All alone in your bed  
You tried when you said  
What you said  
Yeah you poured your heart out  
But nothing's changed  
Still a picture in a frame  
And you try but you just can't break out, no  
But stand up and never say never  
'Cause this life is gonna get better  
Take a breath, shake it off and say  
I'm on my way  
You been down and feel so fed up  
When they tell you, you might not get up  
Might not be on top of the world but hey  
Here's what you say  
You might work but I work harder  
You might fight but I fight smarter  
Might not be on the top of the world but hey  
I'm on my way  
You might fly but I fly higher  
You're so hot but I'm on fire  
Might not be on top of the world but hey  
I'm on my way  
So stand up and never say never  
'Cause this life is gonna get better  
Take a breath, shake it off and say  
I'm on my way

Megan had been enthusiastically swaying, bobbing in time and mouthing the words to the song. This time as the final chorus hit Megan couldn't seem to contain her energy and bounded to her feet, and bounced to the music. Passing soldiers laughed openly but Megan just laughed with them completely uncaring if they thought of her as crazy. She put up her fists and shadow boxed with an imaginary opponent, and raised her arms as if flying like the song said and whirled around in circles. All the while mouthing the lyrics and laughing at the look Mirage was giving her.

You might work but I work harder  
You might fight but I fight smarter  
Might not be on the top of the world but hey  
I'm on my way  
You might fly but I fly higher  
You're so hot but I'm on fire  
Might not be on top of the world but hey  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way ay  
I'm on my way…

The song ended and Megan plopped gracelessly back on the ground beside Mirage, laughing and panting lightly from the sudden mild exercise. Mirage gave a rare chuckle and shook his head at her antics. He knew better than to comment on her behavior, it only encouraged her. Megan beamed a smile at him.

"So do you get it? It's just one way of understanding music mind you. I don't know how other people do it but this is how I do it. Probably one of the reasons I don't like that wordless classical stuff that Prowl listens to. I'm a very word oriented person." Mirage hesitated to answer her, after all, he only now had a small grasp on understanding music. He hopes he does.

"I think I understand. The words don't have to be literal in their sayings or meanings for them to make you think of a person, and associate them to what you know of that person." Megan smiled and nodded her head.

"That's right. That's the basics of it anyway, sometimes I like a song just because it has good music. But more often than not, it's the lyrics that make or break a song for me." She turned her attention back to her ipod, perhaps to find another song to show him and encourage his tentative understanding of music. A question occurred to Mirage.

"Is there a song that reminds you of yourself?" Mirage was curious about what song Megan would choose to represent herself.

Megan stiffened and froze and Mirage didn't need to scan her to know that her stress levels just took a swing upwards. Her smile had disappeared as she looked up at him with a look that was almost nervouse in nature. She bit her lip and fiddled with her ipod, obviously unsure how to answer him.

"Ya. I have a song for myself." She said quietly.

"Might I hear it?" Mirage asked carefully. Not wanting to further upset the girl, but his curiosity as to why she was so reluctant to let him hear her song was very strong.

Megan hummed and hawed a little while still fiddling with her ipod. She seemed to make up her mind about something and looked up at him.

"Tell you what. When you find your own song and let me listen to it, I'll let you listen to mine, ok?"

Mirage studied her for a moment, then nodded in agreement. After all it only seemed fair. Megan sighed in slight relief, as if thankful for the delay in letting him listen to her song. Mirage had no time to question her about her reaction because at that moment a growling GMC Topkick came roaring up the tarmac in their direction. Megan popped up from her seat and hastily grabbed her shoes.

"Hate to cut the lesson short Mirage, but I better start running before I die a horrible death." She shouted cheerfully as she ran as fast as she could for the main hanger. Ironhide was hot on her heels, roaring something about bumper stickers and humans for target practice. Mirage only shook his head, not willing to intervene on her behalf, it only encouraged her behavior.

So instead he sat there a while longer, to both enjoy the feeling of the sun on his armour and try to understand Megan's earlier reaction. Almost nothing could stop Mirage when his insatiable curiosity plagued his processor like it was now.

_'Why is she acting so strangely? It is only a song after all, so why would she have such an extreme reaction when I asked to hear it?'_

Those thoughts stayed in the back of his processor and made him determined to find his own song.

* * *

Present day:

So that's what had Mirage staying at base on his off shift. He was going to find his own song. He was a little unsure how to go about finding it, after all he still only had a vague understanding of music at best. So he started with a list he had compiled consisting of Megan's playlist and other songs that she had shown a liking to. He struggled with trying to understand the songs, and connect them to his own personal thoughts and feelings, trying to find one that was distinctly Mirage.

Mirage looked up as Jazz entered the wreck room, no doubt drawn by the sound of music but surprised to find Mirage to be the one listening to it. Mirage nodded his helm to the mech and tried to focus on the music again. He was beginning to feel frustrated with his own inability to understand music. It was likely this fact was the reason Megan had made the deal with him. Mirage's focus was again shattered as Jazz approached and asked him a question.

" 'ey Raj? What 'cha up tah?" Mirage vented a sigh and paused the music, trying to swallow his own growing frustrations to answer the mech calmly.

"I am listening to music Jazz. What does it sound like I am doing?" He said somewhat sarcastically. Jazz just smirked.

" 'ave the Decepticons started ta wave a white flag? Ah never thought I'd see the day when you'd be likin' music Mirage." Jazz said in a teasing tone.

Mirage started to roll his optics at him, but stopped when a thought entered his processor. Jazz understood music, perhaps he could help him to understand and find his song. Mirage explained to Jazz what Megan had taught him, and the problem he was facing. Jazz smiled and agreed to help him, but said that Mirage would have to choose his own song for himself in the end. Mirage agreed and sent Jazz a copy of Megan's playlist to help them get started.

Jazz took a comfortable seat beside Mirage and the mech's listened to the music in their own internal systems. Silence except for music lasted for a time before Mirage noticed the slight frown on Jazz's faceplates.

"Is something wrong Jazz?"

"Not really. Is just Ah've been going through da lil' lady's music and… a lot of it isn't very happy. Ya know what she was telling' ya about messages in the words? Most of 'er music is about leaving an' goodbyes an' stuff. Ah guess ah just didn't expect that, she's usually so happy and all." Jazz looked much more perturbed by Megan's choice of music then his words suggested.

Mirage paused for a moment and re-evaluated his own thoughts on the music. Instead of trying to connect it to himself he tried to imagine what Megan was thinking or feeling as she listened to the songs. What he imagined wasn't very comforting, and made him wonder if Megan was thinking of leaving base. Of leaving him. Mirage shook himself, trying to rid his processor of such thoughts, but the music wasn't helping. With a sigh he turned off Megan's play list and with a look caught Jazz's attention.

"I do not believe that this is working. Perhaps we should try another source." Jazz smiled and his visor glinted with barely suppressed glee.

"Raj, mah mech. Let meh introduce ya t'da musical world."

And Jazz did just that. The rest of their day was spent just looking at possible sources to find a song that was distinctly Mirage. The sources included everything from youtube to the radio, itunes to music databases on the internet. The sheer volume of music nearly boggled Mirage's processor, and her wondered how he would find just one song in such a hodgepodge of noise. They didn't even really find the time to listen to music before Megan returned from her shopping trip.

Over the next few days Mirage and Jazz spent much of their time off shift together. Jazz making suggestions and steering Mirage in a general direction and encouraging him to explore. Mirage slowly but surely began to develop his own taste in music, completely detesting some genres while trying others and delving deeper into the ones he discovered a liking for.

Megan of course noticed Mirage's sudden disappearances, and how if she stepped into the same room as Mirage and Jazz the two bot's would fall silent. She gave them both plenty of strange looks, but didn't say anything to either of them and went about her business. After about a week of this and Jazz's coaching and advice Mirage could listen to a song and after listening to it a few times, could say if he liked it or not and how he related to it.

Mirage was satisfied with his progress, but was frustrated by the fact that he still couldn't find a song to call his own. Jazz helped him to keep his patience by reminding him that he had more understanding now of music then he had in vorns of trying. It helped a little to be reminded, but the question of what Megan's song was still plagued his processor at times.

It was a Thursday when he finally found his song. He had just gotten off a patrol shift and was on his way to the wreck room to get some energon, when he decide to listen to the local radio station. He was only half way there when the song came on and when the lyrics started he froze. He stood there, still as a statue in the hallway for almost four minutes, until the song ended. When his processor was finally brought back to earth he had more than a few humans giving him funny looks.

Mirage ignored them and commed Jazz to meet him at the main hanger. Jazz was there when Mirage arrived and the two mech communicated over their comms for a few minutes. Mirage shared the song and observed Jazz's reaction to it.

:Well? What do you think? It's too simple isn't it? I mean the lyrics are fine and I connect with them but-:

:Raj.: Jazz interrupted and put a hand on the taller mech's shoulder.

Mirage paused and looked Jazz in the optics, realizing his pressure systems were steadily increasing. It wan't like himself to get so worked up over such a little thing. Mirage vented a sigh and reached for his normal calm self. Hadn't he once thought Megan was acting silly for being reluctant and not wanting to share her song? Now that he had found his own he understood. He understood that it was a personal thing, and that others might not hold the same appreciation for it. Mirage focused again on Jazz and cooled his circuits.

:It's perfect Raj. Totally you, Megan will think so to, ah know it. When are ya goin' t' let 'er listen?: Mirage hesitated to answer the question.

:After the human's evening meal before recharge. I'll do it then.:

Once a course of action was made, Mirage felt more like himself. Once a plan was in place he was always much more of a patient mech. If Megan noticed the difference as he hung around after suppertime and actually sat and talked with her instead of gallivanting off with Jazz, she didn't say anything. Though she did seem relieved. Once supper was over Mirage didn't wait. He scooped her into his servo and carried her to his berth, being sure to lock and sound proof the room before setting the girl down.

Megan was looking up at him with a slightly irritated expression on her face and her hands on her hips.

"Jeez Mirage, what couldn't wait until after I helped clean the dishes for you to whisk me away like that? First you don't talk to me all week and then you swoop in and carry me away? Not that I don't mind getting out of cleaning, but I'd like some warning next time." A flash of hurt crossed her eyes when she mentioned Mirage's neglect of her but she was quick to hide it. Mirage still saw it of course.

"I apologize for my behaviour this past week Megan. I was receiving Jazz's help on an important matter."

"Oh, I get it. Top secret Autobot stuff." Megan crossed her arms and tried to not look as hurt as she felt.

She didn't want to admit it but she had greatly missed Mirage company. So to have the bot so suddenly whisk her away she couldn't help but feel like the 'back up friend'. The friend you call when your other friends have something else to do. It wasn't a nice feeling, especially coming from Mirage. Her attention was brought back to the mech in question as he shook his helm.

"Actually no. Jazz was helping me find a song. It took longer than I originally thought it would, but I finally found one. Would you like to hear it?"

Megan was surprised. She thought Mirage had forgotten that conversation that they had a week ago. She thought he had been ignoring her, but it turned out he had actually found his own song. Megan hesitated to say yes, because it would mean she would have to let him listen to her own song. Despite her misgivings she nodded, if it was this important to Mirage she would keep her word and let him listen to her song.

Mirage vented a sigh to help cool his circuits as he accessed the file that held the song. It was by the band The Fray and titled_ Never say never_. He played it over his external radio systems, being sure to play loud enough for Megan to hear. It started with a piano, a melody slowly playing in a swelling tune.

Some things we don't talk about  
Rather do without  
And just hold the smile  
Falling in and out of love  
Same damn problem  
Together all the while

You can never say never  
While we don't know when  
But time and time again  
Younger now than we were before

Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
[2x]

Megan, unlike Mirage, was quicker to understand the song and Mirage's possible connections with it. She had a feeling that he wasn't just thinking of himself when he had picked this song. She continued to listen a slight stirring of sadness and guilt pooling in her stomach and making it ache. She wished a little that she hadn't eaten so much at supper but kept listening all the same. Mirage watched her carefully as the song continued.

Picture, you're the queen of everything  
As far as the eye can see  
Under your command  
I will be your guardian  
When all is crumbling  
I steady your hand

You can never say never  
While we don't know when  
Time, time, time again  
Younger now than we were before

Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
[2x]

Megan's eye's had widened at the guardian part. If Mirage was using this song to represent himself that meant… that he was therefore defining himself, at least in part, by being her guardian. He was saying that being her guardian was a part of who he was. She looked up at the mech, slightly overwhelmed by Mirage's choice of song.

We're falling apart and coming together again and again  
We're growing apart but we pull it together, pull it together, together again

Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
Don't let me go  
[4x]

Megan listened faithfully and quietly to the whole song, and said nothing for a long moment after it had ended. She smiled nervously up at him and brought her own ipod out of her pocket, right where she always kept it.

"Would you like to hear my song now? It's not near as nice as yours, but…" She didn't know what else to say to finish that sentence.

Mirage nodded respectfully. Sharing his song had been difficult but Megan's reluctance seemed greater than his own had been. The last thing he wanted to do was give her the wrong impression and have her close up to him. Megan blew out a shaky sigh, much like the one Mirage had given just minutes ago, turned her ipod onto speaker mode and firmly pressing the play button. It was by Birdy and titled _Skinny Love_. The song started with the sad lonely keys of a piano before an almost mournful female voice began singing.

Come on skinny love just last the year  
Pour a little salt, we were never here  
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my  
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer

Tell my love to wreck it all  
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall  
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my  
Right in this moment this order's tall

It was Megan's turn to carefully watch Mirage's reaction as he listened to her song. Mirage knew enough about music now to understand that the song was by no means a happy one. The melody was far to sad for that. Mirage listened carefully to the words, remembering what Megan had said about how she picked her songs. There was either a message in the song or a single line that made her think of herself in the song. He turned up his audio receptors, as if hoping that it would help him hear what Megan was trying to say with this song.

And I told you to be patient  
And I told you to be fine  
And I told you to be balanced  
And I told you to be kind

In the morning I'll be with you  
But it will be a different kind  
I'll be holding all the tickets  
And you'll be owning all the fines

Come on skinny love, what happened here?  
We suckled on the hope in lite brassieres  
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my  
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split

Mirage looked at Megan, who regarded him with a carefully blank face and empty eyes. She wasn't giving any hints as to why she chose this particular song. She would never admit it but a small part of her that wanted him to figure it out, just to be rid of the hidden burden she carried. While a much larger part of her was afraid of him ever finding out. So she kept her face blank, and said nothing.

And I told you to be patient  
And I told you to be fine  
And I told you to be balanced  
And I told you to be kind

And now all your love is wasted  
And then who the hell was I?  
And I'm breaking at the britches  
And at the end of all your lines

Who will love you?  
Who will fight?  
Who will fall far behind?  
Ooh, ooh

Come on skinny love  
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my,

The song ended just as sadly as it had begun, with Mirage just as confused as to why Megan chose it. There hadn't been any sudden understanding, or even a slow understanding as he had listened to it. As Megan turned off her ipod and tucked it back in her pocket Mirage vented a sigh. Megan looked up at him as she stepped back onto his hand.

"What's wrong?" She asked as he unlocked his doors and walked them both back towards the wreck room.

"I wonder if I'll ever understand music." He groaned with a shake of his helm.

Megan laughed, her stomach loosening from the knot it had tied itself into since she had pressed that play button. Her secret was safe for now.

"I think your doing a fine job Mirage. I really liked your song choice, I'll have to add it to my playlist." She said truthfully.

Mirage smiled down at his charge, but as he entered the wreck room once more a small thought entered his processor. Did he not understand Megan's song choice because he didn't understand music very well yet, or because he didn't understand Megan? Mirage shook the question from his helm and focused on where he was walking. Perhaps someday he would understand why Megan chose that particular song, but for now it would have to stay a question answered on another day.

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**Read and review. I must go sleep now… zzz!**


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